This invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving the stability of operation in the thermosyphon reboiling of a fractionation liquid residue by arranging the bottom zone of the fractionator column into a specific configuration of compartments and baffles.
Distillation processes are widely used in the chemical and petroleum industries for separation of components of a liquid mixture by partial vaporization of the mixture and separation of the vapor containing the more volatile components from the residue containing the less volatile components. Accordingly, knowledge concerning the design and operation of fractionation columns is possessed by persons skilled in the art and has been made available in a great many references, including for example, the Chemical Engineers Handbook (Fourth Edition) published by McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y. Additional prior art is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 2,134,836 illustrating the use of fractionation trays and reboiler systems and U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,213 illustrating a fractionation column adapted for reducing thermal decomposition in high temperature accumulators. U.S. 3,766,021 illustrates a fractionation column adapted for use with heavy immiscible residues in the feed system arranged to prevent or limit their contact with the reboiler.